Vitesse beat Ajax 3-2 to stay top of Dutch league

AMSTERDAM, Oct 15 (Reuters)(DS) - Dutch first division leaders Vitesse Arnhem recovered from 2-1 down to beat Ajax Amsterdam 3-2 at home on Sunday.

Challengers Feyenoord maintained their 100 percent record with a 4-1 win at Sparta Rotterdam. Vitesse have 19 points from eight games while Feyenoord moved second with 15 from five. Ajax dropped to ninth, eight points off the pace. Former Vitesse striker Nikos Machlas cancelled out Viktora Sikora's seventh minute goal with a 35th minute header and Ajax went ahead 10 minutes into the second half when Christian Chivu scored from the penalty spot. Cedric van der Gun had been brought down by goalkeeper Edwin Zoetebier. Theo Janssen curled a free kick around the Ajax wall to put Vitesse level and in the 78th minute Matthew Amoah fired home the winner from close range.